A patchbay (also called a patch panel or breakout panel) is a panel, typically rackmounted, providing cable connections. Cables connect to devices (e.g. jacks) at both front and rear faces of the patchbay. The devices are arranged so that a number of circuits, usually of the same or similar type, appear on jacks for monitoring, interconnecting, and testing circuits in a convenient, flexible manner. Patchbays offer the convenience of allowing technicians to quickly change the path of select signals, without the expense of dedicated switching equipment.
Patchbays are used in various settings (e.g. recording studios, television and radio broadcast studios, and concert sound reinforcement systems) to connect different devices, such as microphones, electric or electronic instruments, effects (e.g. compression, reverb, etc.), recording gear, amplifiers, and the like.
It often is desirable to organize and prepare analog signals for use in a digital environment, particularly in the arena of portable systems. In a typical arrangement, a multi-channel preamp and an analog to digital and digital to analog (all in one) converter are interfaced with a computer running some type of music software. These preamps and converters can be quite expensive; accordingly, it is desirable to provide only a single set of them, connected to a patchbay, which then permits access by a number of other units. Additionally, a patch point between the preamps and converters should be provided for analog signal processing such as dynamics and equalization prior to conversion to digital. Furthermore, it is desirable to lead outputs from the digital to analog converter to connectors suitable for connection to mixers, recorders, monitors, etc.
Among modern equipment manufacturers of products utilized in the recording of digital audio, many have adopted the use of the DB25 connector to simplify multi-channel interfacing between units. A single DB25 connector is capable of carrying 8 discrete channels of balanced analog audio and 16 channels of digital signals. Any two pieces of equipment using the same standard pinout in the DB25 connector can be easily interfaced using simple and inexpensive DB25 cable assemblies, available in several configurations industry wide.
Accordingly, it is desirable to implement a patchbay incorporating DB25 connectors and also suitable for organizing analog signals.